Microsoft looks to power Android and iOS gaming with Xbox Live

It looks like Microsoft is making a new play on mobile gaming beyond its own mobile handsets.

A newly discovered job posting suggests that Microsoft is looking for new software engineers to port the Xbox Live platform to iOS and Android devices. Going beyond the Smartglass app users can already download, it seems Microsoft wants to extend Xbox Live's functionality even further.

One of goals listed in the job description included creating "a modern framework that is open source, light-weight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android."

The description also details that Microsoft is hoping to "win back" game developers from our competitors. Developers that are most likely switched from programming console and PC games to become mobile game makers.

Winning back developers

The Verge confirmed with a source familiar with the Redmond company's plans that it is building a platform to extend Xbox Live functionality to iOS and Android games directly.

Prior to this new job posting, Microsoft has already implemented achievements into the Wordament app on iOS and Android. So it's not a far stretch that it would want more Xbox Live integration in games.

For Xbox gamers, achievements are a big reason why they stick with Microsoft's gaming platform, which could completely steamroll over Game Center on iOS and Android's Play Games service.

Achievements aside implementing more chat messaging, leaderboards, and even voice chat could all add a whole new cross-platform layer to competitive and multiplayer mobile games.